Dark Tranquillity
Encyclopedia
Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...

 band from Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...

. They are one of the longest-standing bands from the original Gothenburg metal scene, and are one of the most integral pioneers of the melodic death metal genre of music.

Skydancer (1989–1993)

Dark Tranquillity was formed in 1989 by vocalist and guitarist Mikael Stanne
Mikael Stanne
Bengt Mikael Stanne is the vocalist for the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity and the ex-vocalist for Swedish power metal band HammerFall.-Dark Tranquillity:...

 & guitarist Niklas Sundin
Niklas Sundin
Niklas Sundin , is a musician best known as the guitarist of bands Dark Tranquillity and Laethora. He also wrote some of the lyrics for the first three and recent two Dark Tranquillity albums and In Flames' album The Jester Race, and...

, who looked at their influences and then decided to form their own band under the name Septic Broiler. Not long after, three additional members, Anders Fridén
Anders Fridén
Anders Fridén is the vocalist/lyricist of the Swedish band In Flames-Early career:Fridén was originally the vocalist for Dark Tranquillity. He performed on their debut album, Skydancer, but left the band soon after. Two years later he joined In Flames...

, Anders Jivarp and Martin Henriksson
Martin Henriksson
Martin Henriksson, born 30 October 1974 in Sweden, is one of two guitarists, one of the founding members and the main songwriter of the Swedish death metal band Dark Tranquillity.-Biography:...

, joined the line-up.

In 1990, the band recorded a demo cassette tape entitled Enfeebled Earth before they would change their name to Dark Tranquillity and change their musical style. It was followed by multiple demos, and in 1993, Skydancer
Skydancer
Skydancer is the debut studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity.It is Dark Tranquillity's only album that does not feature Mikael Stanne as primary vocalist, as Anders Fridén, later of In Flames fame, sang on Skydancer.The album was re-released in 2000 by Century Media...

was released. Soon after, Anders Fridén
Anders Fridén
Anders Fridén is the vocalist/lyricist of the Swedish band In Flames-Early career:Fridén was originally the vocalist for Dark Tranquillity. He performed on their debut album, Skydancer, but left the band soon after. Two years later he joined In Flames...

, Dark Tranquillity's main vocalist at the time, left the band and later joined In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...

. Co-founder, guitarist, and back-up vocalist, Mikael Stanne
Mikael Stanne
Bengt Mikael Stanne is the vocalist for the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity and the ex-vocalist for Swedish power metal band HammerFall.-Dark Tranquillity:...

, then became the lead vocalist, and Fredrik Johansson was recruited to take over rhythm guitar duties.

The Gallery, The Mind's I and Projector (1993–1999)

In 1995 the second full length album The Gallery
The Gallery (album)
The Gallery is the second full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, released on November 27, 1995. It was the first full-length release to feature Mikael Stanne on lead vocals, while passing down his position of guitarist to Fredrik Johansson...

was released, often referred to as the masterpiece of the era. The release, which saw a change in sound but kept the characteristics essential in the band's melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...

 sound, such as growled vocals, abstract riffing, acoustic passages, and a female guest vocalist.

The third album; The Mind's I
The Mind's I (album)
The Mind's I is the third full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, released in 1997.In 2004, The Mind's I was re-released under Osmose Productions and in 2005 by Century Media Records with new layouts, the four-song Enter Suicidal Angels EP, two live...

was released in 1997.

Projector
Projector (album)
-Release history:-Dark Tranquillity:* Mikael Stanne − vocals, lyrics* Niklas Sundin − lead guitar; layout design, cover art, image editing* Fredrik Johansson - rhythm guitar* Martin Henriksson − bass guitar* Anders Jivarp − drums-Guests:...

was released in late 1998. It became the fourth output from the band, and was later nominated for a Swedish Grammy Award, and saw a major change in songwriting. While retaining growled vocals and their signature death metal sound, pianos, baritone soft vocals, and verse-chorus fashion song structures were now integral parts of Dark Tranquillity's sound, reflecting the band's goal to strive for different musical expressions.

After the recording of Projector Fredrik Johansson was asked to leave as he started to lack devotion to the band, stemming from being a parent and keeping a day job.

Haven (2000-2001)

A year later saw the release of Haven, which introduced the addition of electric keyboard sounds, but also saw the abandonment of the newly adopted clean vocal stylings in favor of an overall heavier sound. By this time, Martin Brändström had joined for keyboard duties, and Michael Nicklasson had replaced Martin Henriksson
Martin Henriksson
Martin Henriksson, born 30 October 1974 in Sweden, is one of two guitarists, one of the founding members and the main songwriter of the Swedish death metal band Dark Tranquillity.-Biography:...

 on bass, with Henriksson becoming the band's second guitarist.

During their 2001 tour the Band Hired Robin Engström as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...

 because Jivarp became a father.

Damage Done and Character (2002–2006)

Dark Tranquillity released Damage Done
Damage Done
Japanese Bonus Track"The Poison Well" − 4:07Limited Edition Digipak & First Edition Jewel Case"Monochromatic Stains" 2009 Reissue "I, Deception" - 3:55 "Static" - 4:40 "The Poison Well" - 4:08...

in 2002, and was intended to be a step in a much heavier direction, adding thicker guitar distortion, deep atmospheric keyboards, and abandoning soft vocals altogether. They released the music video for the single Monochromatic Stains, followed by their release of Live Damage, their first live DVD.

Character
Character (album)
- Digipak edition :There is a second CD included with the digipak. It includes the following tracks:* Track 1 is the music video version of the song...

was the seventh release from Dark Tranquillity, released in 2005, and was held in much critical praise. It featured the third music video released by Dark Tranquillity, with the successful single Lost to Apathy
Lost to Apathy
-Multimedia enhancements:-Credits:Dark Tranquillity* Mikael Stanne − vocals* Martin Henriksson − Guitar* Niklas Sundin − Guitar* Michael Nicklasson − Bass guitar* Martin Brändström − keyboards and electronics* Anders Jivarp − drumsGuests...

.

Fiction and We Are the Void (2007 onward)

In 2007, Fiction
Fiction (Dark Tranquillity album)
Fiction is the eighth studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band, Dark Tranquillity.The earliest release date for the album was set for North America on April 17, 2007....

was released, which in turn, saw a return of Mikael Stanne's clean vocals, and the first female guest vocalist since Projector. The album also saw writing style that combined the stylings of Projector
Projector (album)
-Release history:-Dark Tranquillity:* Mikael Stanne − vocals, lyrics* Niklas Sundin − lead guitar; layout design, cover art, image editing* Fredrik Johansson - rhythm guitar* Martin Henriksson − bass guitar* Anders Jivarp − drums-Guests:...

and Haven, with the more aggressive traits of Character
Character (album)
- Digipak edition :There is a second CD included with the digipak. It includes the following tracks:* Track 1 is the music video version of the song...

and Damage Done
Damage Done
Japanese Bonus Track"The Poison Well" − 4:07Limited Edition Digipak & First Edition Jewel Case"Monochromatic Stains" 2009 Reissue "I, Deception" - 3:55 "Static" - 4:40 "The Poison Well" - 4:08...

. At this time, Dark Tranquillity toured with The Haunted
The Haunted
The Haunted is a Swedish metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1996.The original members were Anders & Jonas Björler, Peter Dolving, Adrian Erlandsson and Patrik Jensen...

, Into Eternity, and Scar Symmetry
Scar Symmetry
Scar Symmetry is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Avesta in Dalarna County, formed in 2004. The band has released five albums, with six released singles...

 for the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 Metal For The Masses Tour. They returned to the U.S. during the Spring of 2008 with Arch Enemy. They have also toured the UK in early 2008 along with Omnium Gatherum
Omnium Gatherum
Omnium Gatherum is a six-piece melodic death metal band from Finland, founded in the autumn of 1996. Although the band mainly follows the path of melodic death metal genre, the music created by the band, especially the later albums, has a strong feel/presence of other sub-genres, such as black...

. On October 26, 2009 they released a DVD titled Where Death Is Most Alive
Where Death Is Most Alive
Where Death Is Most Alive is a DVD release by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, released on October 26, 2009. It was also released in a limited edition two-CD – two-DVD boxset as well as two-CD format. Only the live performance in Milan was released also on the CD version...

. On October 30, 2009 at the release party of the DVD 333 copies were given away for free of the rare live album The Dying Fragments. On the band's official website they announced that bass guitarist Mikael Niklasson left the band in August 2008 due to personal reasons with no hard feelings between him and the band. On September 19, the band found a new bassist in Dimension Zero
Dimension Zero
Dimension Zero is a Gothenburg, Sweden-based melodic death metal band formed in 1995 as a side project of In Flames former guitarists Jesper Strömblad and Glenn Ljungström...

 guitarist Daniel Antonsson
Daniel Antonsson
Daniel Antonsson is a musician and songwriter from Gothenburg, Sweden, currently playing guitar in Dimension Zero and playing bass in Dark Tranquillity. He was also briefly in Soilwork and recorded with them on their album Sworn to a Great Divide...

, who also was a guitarist for Soilwork
Soilwork
Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They are currently signed to Nuclear Blast. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, originally under the name Inferior Breed, the band changed their name in late 1996 to Soilwork .Their sound is a fusion of the classic...

. May 25, 2009, saw reissues of Projector
Projector (album)
-Release history:-Dark Tranquillity:* Mikael Stanne − vocals, lyrics* Niklas Sundin − lead guitar; layout design, cover art, image editing* Fredrik Johansson - rhythm guitar* Martin Henriksson − bass guitar* Anders Jivarp − drums-Guests:...

, Haven, and Damage Done
Damage Done
Japanese Bonus Track"The Poison Well" − 4:07Limited Edition Digipak & First Edition Jewel Case"Monochromatic Stains" 2009 Reissue "I, Deception" - 3:55 "Static" - 4:40 "The Poison Well" - 4:08...

.

In October 2009, Dark Tranquillity finished work on their 9th studio album, We Are the Void
We Are the Void
We Are The Void is the ninth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity.It is their first album with new bassist Daniel Antonsson....

, scheduled for release on March 1, 2010 in Europe and March 2, 2010, in the USA. On December 21, 2009, Dark Tranquillity released the song "Dream Oblivion" and on January 14, 2010, they released the song "At the Point of Ignition" from their new album We Are the Void
We Are the Void
We Are The Void is the ninth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity.It is their first album with new bassist Daniel Antonsson....

exclusively on their MySpace page. They were also the opening act for a US winter tour that was headlined by Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbandment of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Howard Jones, bassist Mike D'Antonio, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, and drummer...

 along with The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada (band)
The Devil Wears Prada is an American metalcore band from Dayton, Ohio. Formed in 2005, they are currently signed to Warner Music Group...

. Then in February 2011 for the first time they performed at a cultural fest of BITS campus in Hyderabad, India. This was their first ever performance in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

Dark Tranquillity announced a headline tour in summer 2010 with Threat Signal
Threat Signal
Threat Signal is a Canadian Melodic death metal band hailing from the city of Hamilton. However, different members of the band hail from other parts of the Ontario province...

, Mutiny Within
Mutiny Within
Mutiny Within was a metal band from Edison, New Jersey. The band was formed in 2002 by bassist Andrew Jacobs originally as a Children of Bodom cover band. They disbanded in 2011.-Formation :...

 and The Absence
The Absence
The Absence is an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida. Their style has been described as aggressive thrash metal with Scandinavian metal influences. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records...

.

Members

Throughout their 20 years active Dark Tranquillity have had only three line-up changes, and four of the original members are still in the band today: vocalist Mikael Stanne
Mikael Stanne
Bengt Mikael Stanne is the vocalist for the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity and the ex-vocalist for Swedish power metal band HammerFall.-Dark Tranquillity:...

, guitarist Niklas Sundin, guitarist-bassist Martin Henriksson
Martin Henriksson
Martin Henriksson, born 30 October 1974 in Sweden, is one of two guitarists, one of the founding members and the main songwriter of the Swedish death metal band Dark Tranquillity.-Biography:...

, and drummer Anders Jivarp.
style="font-size: larger;" | Dark Tranquillity's line-ups
Original
(1989–1992)
  • Anders Fridén
    Anders Fridén
    Anders Fridén is the vocalist/lyricist of the Swedish band In Flames-Early career:Fridén was originally the vocalist for Dark Tranquillity. He performed on their debut album, Skydancer, but left the band soon after. Two years later he joined In Flames...

     – vocals
  • Niklas Sundin
    Niklas Sundin
    Niklas Sundin , is a musician best known as the guitarist of bands Dark Tranquillity and Laethora. He also wrote some of the lyrics for the first three and recent two Dark Tranquillity albums and In Flames' album The Jester Race, and...

     – guitar
  • Mikael Stanne
    Mikael Stanne
    Bengt Mikael Stanne is the vocalist for the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity and the ex-vocalist for Swedish power metal band HammerFall.-Dark Tranquillity:...

     – guitar
  • Martin Henriksson
    Martin Henriksson
    Martin Henriksson, born 30 October 1974 in Sweden, is one of two guitarists, one of the founding members and the main songwriter of the Swedish death metal band Dark Tranquillity.-Biography:...

     – bass
  • Anders Jivarp – drums
(1992–1993)
  • Anders Fridén – vocals
  • Niklas Sundin – guitar
  • Mikael Stanne – guitar
  • Fredrik Johansson
    Fredrik Johansson
    Per Fredrik Johansson is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre, currently playing for VIK Västerås HK in HockeyAllsvenskan.-External links:...

     – guitar
  • Martin Henriksson – bass
  • Anders Jivarp – drums
  • (1994–1998)
  • Mikael Stanne – vocals
  • Niklas Sundin – guitar
  • Fredrik Johansson – guitar
  • Martin Henriksson – bass
  • Anders Jivarp – drums
  • (1998–1999)
  • Mikael Stanne – vocals
  • Niklas Sundin – guitar
  • Fredrik Johansson – guitar
  • Martin Henriksson – bass
  • Anders Jivarp – drums
  • Martin Brändström – keyboards
  • (1999–2008)
  • Mikael Stanne – vocals
  • Niklas Sundin – guitar
  • Martin Henriksson – guitar
  • Mikael Niklasson – bass
  • Anders Jivarp – drums
  • Martin Brändström – keyboards
  • Current
    (2008–present)
  • Mikael Stanne – vocals
  • Niklas Sundin – guitar
  • Martin Henriksson – guitar
  • Daniel Antonsson
    Daniel Antonsson
    Daniel Antonsson is a musician and songwriter from Gothenburg, Sweden, currently playing guitar in Dimension Zero and playing bass in Dark Tranquillity. He was also briefly in Soilwork and recorded with them on their album Sworn to a Great Divide...

     – bass
  • Anders Jivarp – drums
  • Martin Brändström – keyboards

  • Current members

    Name Instrument Membership Additional information
    Mikael Stanne
    Mikael Stanne
    Bengt Mikael Stanne is the vocalist for the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity and the ex-vocalist for Swedish power metal band HammerFall.-Dark Tranquillity:...

    vocals since 1989 Main writer of lyrics. Also played guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

     1989–1994.
    Martin Henriksson
    Martin Henriksson
    Martin Henriksson, born 30 October 1974 in Sweden, is one of two guitarists, one of the founding members and the main songwriter of the Swedish death metal band Dark Tranquillity.-Biography:...

    guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

    since 1989 Main songwriter. Originally played bass guitar
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

     until 1999.
    Niklas Sundin
    Niklas Sundin
    Niklas Sundin , is a musician best known as the guitarist of bands Dark Tranquillity and Laethora. He also wrote some of the lyrics for the first three and recent two Dark Tranquillity albums and In Flames' album The Jester Race, and...

    guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

    since 1989 Graphic designer for many other bands as well as DT. Also plays guitar in Laethora.
    Daniel Antonsson
    Daniel Antonsson
    Daniel Antonsson is a musician and songwriter from Gothenburg, Sweden, currently playing guitar in Dimension Zero and playing bass in Dark Tranquillity. He was also briefly in Soilwork and recorded with them on their album Sworn to a Great Divide...

    bass
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

    since 2008 Ex-Soilwork
    Soilwork
    Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They are currently signed to Nuclear Blast. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, originally under the name Inferior Breed, the band changed their name in late 1996 to Soilwork .Their sound is a fusion of the classic...

     & Dimension Zero guitarist.
    Anders Jivarp drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

    since 1989
    Martin Brändström electronics
    Sound design
    Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...

    , keys
    Keyboard instrument
    A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...

    since 1998

    Former members

    Name Instrument Membership Reason for departure and current project(s)
    Anders Fridén
    Anders Fridén
    Anders Fridén is the vocalist/lyricist of the Swedish band In Flames-Early career:Fridén was originally the vocalist for Dark Tranquillity. He performed on their debut album, Skydancer, but left the band soon after. Two years later he joined In Flames...

    Lead vocals 1989–1993 Now lead vocalist for In Flames
    In Flames
    In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...

    Fredrik Johansson Guitar 1992–1999 Asked to leave due to lack of devotion to the band.
    Mikael Niklasson Bass guitar 1999−2008 Quit due to personal reasons, with no hard feelings between him and the band

    Discography

    Studio albums
    • Skydancer
      Skydancer
      Skydancer is the debut studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity.It is Dark Tranquillity's only album that does not feature Mikael Stanne as primary vocalist, as Anders Fridén, later of In Flames fame, sang on Skydancer.The album was re-released in 2000 by Century Media...

      (1993)
    • The Gallery
      The Gallery (album)
      The Gallery is the second full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, released on November 27, 1995. It was the first full-length release to feature Mikael Stanne on lead vocals, while passing down his position of guitarist to Fredrik Johansson...

      (1995)
    • The Mind's I
      The Mind's I (album)
      The Mind's I is the third full-length studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity, released in 1997.In 2004, The Mind's I was re-released under Osmose Productions and in 2005 by Century Media Records with new layouts, the four-song Enter Suicidal Angels EP, two live...

      (1997)
    • Projector
      Projector (album)
      -Release history:-Dark Tranquillity:* Mikael Stanne − vocals, lyrics* Niklas Sundin − lead guitar; layout design, cover art, image editing* Fredrik Johansson - rhythm guitar* Martin Henriksson − bass guitar* Anders Jivarp − drums-Guests:...

      (1998)
    • Haven (2000)
    • Damage Done
      Damage Done
      Japanese Bonus Track"The Poison Well" − 4:07Limited Edition Digipak & First Edition Jewel Case"Monochromatic Stains" 2009 Reissue "I, Deception" - 3:55 "Static" - 4:40 "The Poison Well" - 4:08...

      (2002)
    • Character
      Character (album)
      - Digipak edition :There is a second CD included with the digipak. It includes the following tracks:* Track 1 is the music video version of the song...

      (2005)
    • Fiction
      Fiction (Dark Tranquillity album)
      Fiction is the eighth studio album by the Swedish melodic death metal band, Dark Tranquillity.The earliest release date for the album was set for North America on April 17, 2007....

      (2007)
    • We Are the Void
      We Are the Void
      We Are The Void is the ninth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity.It is their first album with new bassist Daniel Antonsson....

      (2010)
    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
    x
    OK